Welcome to Ravenswood

Neal Ewers

Neal is a long time Madison Wisconsin resident who sang for many years in the UW-Madison Concert Choir under the direction of Robert Fountain. He carries his love of choral music into the instrumental world and gives the instruments he plays a very magical, singing quality. We think the best way for you to experience this music is to actually listen to it, so we have included both Real Audio and MP3 files on our website so you can hear samples of the pieces.

The Joy of Christmas

This collection magically weaves together some of the most peaceful, relaxing carols of the season with those that are more joyful. Neal's lyrical performance of the quieter carols uses bells, cello, soaring violins, haunting oboes and other instruments to bring about a truly spiritual experience. His arrangements of the lively, more joyful carols keeps this peaceful spirit alive by delicately balancing the volume of the mighty pipe organ with harpsichords, flutes, bells, and other quiet instruments. His graceful yet sparkling playing of these well known melodies and their interplay with his original descants makes this a truly wondrous listening experience. The few song titles on this CD that are duplicated on "Peace on Earth" have totally different arrangements.

This superbly orchestrated collection of some of the most well known hymns of a generation ago makes full use of the spectrum of sound one might associate with both the power and the serenity of these beloved hymns. The varied texture of the music itself and the ways Neal Ewers brings forth both the power and the beauty of each selection may cause you to begin to hum and even, perhaps, to sing.

This CD, containing 22 selections, offers a reflective, very peaceful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. The few song titles on this CD that are duplicated on "The Joy of Christmas"
have totally different arrangements.